The Major Arcana

The 22 Major Arcana run from 0 (The Fool) to 21 (The World) and are traditionally read as a narrative journey known as "the Fool's journey": a character moving through the great stages of a life, from the initial impulse to final fulfillment.

A classic way to group them is into three sets of 7 cards each. The first group (from the Fool to the Chariot, 0 to 7) describes the formation of the self in the material world: identity, resources, relationships, direction. The second group (from Strength to Temperance, 8 to 14) describes a more inward process: introspection, cycles, closures, balance. The third group (from the Devil to the World, 15 to 21) is about transcending the above: facing your own shadows, going through a crisis, and reaching a more conscious fulfillment.

In a spread, when a Major Arcana comes up it usually points to something with weight of its own: a stage, a big lesson, something beyond the everyday detail of the week. You can see the full list of all 22, with their upright and reversed meanings, on the tarot page.